Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects

For more than ten years, EBCLC has engaged first-year students to assist under served communities throughout Oakland. Under the supervision of EBCLC staff attorneys, upper class student coordinators recruit and train students to conduct outreach in various Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects (SLPS). EBCLC is in partnership with the following SLPS:

Members of the Berkeley Immigration Group SLP, conduct intakes and provide legal orientation to immigration detainees at the West County Detention Center in Richmond, CA. In partnership with EBCLC and Oakland’s Centro Legal, students conduct one-on-one meetings with detained individuals seeking legal advice and representation. We are the only groups that visit the center, and for many people this is their only opportunity at legal representation. There are also opportunities for students help individuals to win release, by representing them in bond hearings before the Immigration Court. Click here for more information!

Members of the Tenants’ Rights Workshop (TRW) provide assistance to tenants who reside in Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Alameda. Tenants attending TRW seek assistance for a broad range of housing issues, including illegal rent increases, disputes with their landlord, issues related to subsidized housing, and demands for repairs. During this workshop, Tenants meet with first-year law students, who provide tenants with information about their rights and referrals to other community organizations. Each student is supervised by an attorney. Click here for more information!

Members of the Consumer Rights Workshop staff a free, evening legal clinic for low-income Alameda County residents. CRW’s clients need help with a wide variety of consumer issues such as debt collection lawsuits, defaulted student loans, identity theft, auto issues, and much more. CRW is supervised by attorneys from Berkeley Law’s clinical partner — the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC). Click here for more information!

The Name and Gender Change Workshop will be facilitating four workshops, where students will interact with clients and help them to determine the process for changing any government documentation the clients might like to change. Students will cultivate skills in client interviewing and interaction, develop the ability to read and identify court forms, become familiar with filing documents, and gain experience with assisting members of an under served community. Click here for more information!